Trending
Fifteen weeks after he crashed his pickup truck into a concrete barrier on Route 15 in Old Lycoming Township with cocaine in his system, David Clair Miller was still recovering from multiple injuries, including fractured ribs, a punctured lung and a broken nose, according to court records. On the night of Jan. 9, Miller, 59, of 3542 Dewey Ave. Extension, Cogan Station, hit the barrier in the northbound lane with such force that a chunk of it broke loose, striking another truck in the oncoming lane, Lycoming Regional police said in an affidavit. Occupants in the second vehicle were not injured, police said.
During an interview at UPMC following the crash, Miller, who has had three DUI arrests in the last seven years, denied using any drugs or consuming any alcohol, claiming he lost control of his 2007 Dodge truck while passing a tractor-trailer truck, police said. However, investigators filed a search warrant for Miller's blood that medical staff took from him during his treatment. Police said there was evidence of cocaine in his system on the night of the crash. Shortly before the crash on Route 15, Miller had fled the scene of a hit-run accident on North Market Street in the city, court records stated. He was arraigned last week before District Judge Denise Dieter on a charge of DUI of a controlled substance and four summary violations, and released on $50,000 bail. In addition to the prior DUI arrests, Miller was charged earlier this month with felony fleeing police that stems from a 35-mile high-speed pursuit he had with Muncy and state police on March 17. He has also been charged with abusing the 911 system after calling the emergency line in early February multiple times when there was no emergency, Lycoming Regional police said.
Another motorist facing a DUI charge was Shelton R. Bryant, 35, of Philadelphia, who had "a strong odor of alcohol" coming from him when he was stopped for speeding on Interstate 180 in Loyalsock Township in a stolen 2020 Buick Enclave about 2 a.m. on April 9, according to a state police affidavit. Bryant, 35, of Philadelphia, who was traveling 85 mph in a 55 mph speed zone, admitted that he had consumed beers, police said, adding that the car was stolen from Philadelphia. Although Bryant submitted a blood sample, BAC results were not known yet. Arraigned hours later before District Judge Gary Whiteman on charges of felony receiving stolen property, DUI and four summary violations, he was initially jailed, but has since been released on bail. Court records stated this was Bryant's third DUI in 10 years.
In another case, when a state trooper approached Shawn Christopher Shaffer at a crash scene in the 3700 block of Lycoming Mall Drive in Fairfield Township, the 50-year-old city driver just blurted out "I am DUI," according to an affidavit. Detecting a strong odor of alcohol on him, the trooper asked him how much he had to drink. "I had one-and-a-half pints of liquor," he replied. Police said Shaffer, of 1055 Hepburn St., was driving a 2015 Chevrolet Trax that crashed into a guardrail. With a BAC of .18, Shaffer has been charged with DUI and two summary violations. He has waived his hearing and is free on $5,000 bail.
In another case, when state police stopped Isaiah Shirk, 24, of 8513 Route 973 West, Jersey Shore, after seeing his pickup truck crossed the dashed centerline on Route 220 in Woodward Township about 11:50 p.m. on Sept. 23, it turned out he had BAC of .23, according to an affidavit. There was a strong odor of alcohol coming from Shirk, and he "exhibited signs of impairment" while undergoing a series of field sobriety tests, police said, adding that he admitted "to consuming alcohol" earlier in the evening. Charged with DUI and four summary violations, Shirk has waived his preliminary hearing and is free on $10,000 bail.
In another case, Alicia Lindenmuth, 37, of 507 Fifth Ave., refused to submit a blood sample when she was taken into custody on suspicion of DUI when she was sitting in the driver's seat of a pickup truck parked in an intersection on Elimsport Road in Brady Township about 11:20 p.m. on Dec. 19, according to court records. There was a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from inside the vehicle, and Lindenmuth, who "attempted to conceal a bottle of vodka behind the passenger seat," exhibited numerous "clues of alcohol impairment" while doing field sobriety tests, police said. Charged with DUI and two summary violations, she has waived her preliminary hearing and is free on $2,500 bail.
In another case, Christopher Allen Foust, 34, of 2409 Lime Bluff Road, Muncy, was charged twice with DUI after he pulled into his driveway about 12:20 a.m. on Dec. 21, allegedly intoxicated, in a pickup truck, state police said in an affidavit. About 90 minutes earlier, while driving his 2014 Nissan Altima in the 100 block of Middle Road in Muncy Township, Foust struck two utility poles and overturned, but then walked away from the scene, police alleged in court documents. Police went to his home and were there when he pulled into the driveway in a truck a friend had loaned him. Foust admitted to "consuming three beers and one shot of liquor before driving," the affidavit stated. Police allege he was drunk at the time of the crash and later when he arrived home in the truck. His BAC was .13, police said. Besides being charged with DUI, Foust faces eight summary offenses, including failure to report a crash to police. He has waived his preliminary hearing and is free on $10,000 bail.
In another case, William Robert Pepperman, 67, of 201 Oak Ridge Drive, Unityville, had a BAC of .18 when he drove his 2022 Toyota Camry onto the sidewalk at 9 North Main St. in Muncy about 6:45 p.m. on Jan. 12, according to borough police. Charged with DUI and careless driving, he has since waived his preliminary hearing and is free on $2,500 bail.